A MAN LIVING LIFE DELIBERATELY

Four teenagers rape girl, threaten to kill her-Lagos,Nigeria

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four
boys for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl in the Mile
12 area of the state.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects, Wale Badejo,
Jubril Yusuf, Olusanya Remi and Wale Oluwafemi, who
are between the ages 18 and 19, allegedly abducted the
victim on her way to school and took turns raping her.
According to the police, the suspects held the victim for
over seven hours and threatened to kill her if she told
anybody about what happened to her.
A member of the victim’s family, who craved anonymity,
said the incident occurred on May 30, 2013.
She said, “She (the victim) told us that one of the
suspects, who also lived in the area, had been making
sexual advances to her for sometime but she always
rebuffed him. The boy (Oluwafemi) and her friends then
vowed to deal with her, calling her a proud person.
“She schools at Maryland and because of the distance
of the school from home, she leaves home around
6:30am every day.
“On the day of the incident, the boys came on two
motorcycles, grabbed her and took her to Oluwafemi’s
house at Agiliti.
“The boys blindfolded her and stuffed her mouth with
cloth. The boys then took pictures of the barbaric act
and made a video recording which they said they would
upload on Facebook. The boys further threatened to kill
her if she told anybody about what had happened.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that when the victim returned
home, she did not inform her parents about what had
transpired for fear of being killed.
It was learnt that a resident, who had seen the rape
pictures on the phone of one of the suspects, reported
the incident to the victim’s parents.
It was learnt that the victim’s mother immediately
reported the matter to the Ketu Police Division and the
suspects were arrested on June 6.
Our correspondent, who visited the victim’s home on
Dada Street, learnt that the suspects had been accused
of similar offences in the past.
A resident, who craved anonymity said, “The boys have
been accused of raping other girls in the area. They
always get away with it and we hope they will be
prosecuted this time.”
The case, however, took a sudden twist when the
victim’s family said they did not want the case to be
taken to court.
The victim’s mother, Iyabo, said, “The families of the
suspects have been begging us since the incident
occurred and we have decided to let the case go.
“I was pained when I learnt my daughter was raped, but
since we are all neighbours and taking into
consideration the ages of the boys, we believe it is best
to forgive and forget.
“One of the suspects is even an orphan and his 75-year-
old grandmother has pleaded with us. For the sake of
peace, we do not want a case anymore.
“My daughter has been taken to hospital for treatment
and so far, no illness has been found in her blood. She
has also received counselling and she will soon resume
school.”
A police situation report made available to our
correspondent by the police ‘B’ operations department
stated that, “On June 6,2013, the mother of the victim
reported at Mile 12 Police Post that the suspects
conspired and had carnal knowledge of her daughter,
who is 14 years old.
“The mother said around 6.30am, when her daughter
was on her way to school, the suspects grabbed her and
forced her into their room at Dada Street and had sex
with her one after the other. They also threatened to kill
her daughter and throw her into the river if she told her
parents.
“The victim said they blindfolded her and covered her
mouth with cloth. The suspects have confessed and will
be charged to court.”
When contacted on the telephone, the spokesperson for
the state police command, Ngozi Braide, lamented the
rise in cases of rape, adding that parents of victims
usually frustrated efforts of the police.
She said, “We have said it many times in the past that
parents of victims are of the habit of perverting the
course of justice by refusing to cooperate with the
police in prosecuting rape suspects.
“Except members of the public rise up against this, rape
will continue.”